this is the w. news live from berlin the world's biggest coronavirus lockdown extended for 3 more weeks indian prime minister narendra modi tells the nation's economic prize of the lockdown has been high the people's house is far more and. also coming up trump on the defensive after coming under fire over his handling of the crisis in a heated news conference the us president claims his actions have saved hundreds of thousands of lives and then as a cell phone true video criticizing the media. and as the sunny

easter weekend temps many germans to break down rules the country's most prestigious science academy says it's time to cautiously begin lifting restrictions . as welcome to the program india's 3 week or one of ours lockdown is being extended until at least may 3rd is the biggest lockdown in the world measured by the number of people affected in a nationwide television address prime minister narendra modi's said that although the costs to the economy had been high the lives of the people of india were more valuable. holistic approach and not if india had not adopted a holistic integrated approach and had not taken quick timely decisions we cannot

imagine what our situation would have been these knowledges go to delhi where our correspondent money or sadar is standing by in an era listening to mr modi he's convinced he's managed manage the crisis at the right way as all politicians think they do do people feel the same way well the logical thing in the country is of course in favor of the log down it is a fair bit of the extension of the lockdown as well because people can see that the number of cases are rapidly on the rise but that is a section of people who are seeing that even in today's day and away suggest the prime minister missed out on something a lot of questions which are important so how effective the strategy that the government is implementing really be the jury is still out on that because we need to remember that a large population of india is in the list goes on to the gist of the pin into extreme quality because of the impact bill economy that has been after this is a long down has been announced as many activists and critics are saying that

coronavirus is a big problem but what do you is also a huge problem and take on connect the huge section of people who are the most marginalised end of the society to face a double whammy of the widest and of forward to tell us more about the lock down extension the one they locked on currently in place and the easing of the rules modi announced for some people at least in the coming week. apart from giving does date of need the good from mr holding as also very importantly of needed that the measures will be implemented a conies for the coming one week so now this one week is important in the sense that in this one week all the areas of the country will be very very closely monitored very closely scrutinized and you have mentioned that in the areas that show an improvement on which show a control over the spread of the widest which do not let hotspots of exports and knowledge in there look at these bad some economic activity will be allowed to be

dissolved so that the daily wage on those who go out and on their livelihood now what these activities are exactly they don't know yet we have still been waiting for the detailed guidelines to come from and when they are in terms of the big picture how bad is the situation in india at the moment with regard to the corona bars well despite that the country did implemented logged on much earlier even before 600 positive cases were reported but still over the past few weeks we have seen a rapid rise in the number of cases the have seen a rise in the number of top sports across the country and asfar as the instructors them sun india is still trying to ramp up is to creationists the past 50 deal with the point when the peak of these days is come the medical experts are saying that india has not even seen the peak yet and a bottom that i.v. saw the mot explode or to work this from cities to win it just there is a chance of a community transmission making out and the government is still trying to build its

infrastructure better to face the situation if it ever comes to that when there are so dark and delhi for us thank you very much. to the u.s. now where president on the trump has defended his administration's handling of the crisis saying the spread of the virus is slowing his daily news briefing trump rounded on journalists who criticized his actions he once again accused respected media organizations of spreading fake news meanwhile the governor of new york andrew cuomo believes worst could be over for his state. new york has been the state hardest hit by covert 19 and it was also battered on monday by bad weather health care workers had to contend with heavy rain and high winds at this emergency tent facility in central park and they were not the only ones weathering a storm in washington u.s. president donald trump faced criticism over his handling of the crisis at his daily

press briefing the president surprised journalists with what some are calling a propaganda video defending his response. then he went on the offensive. and remember this everything we did i was criticized because it was too early. if i waited longer it would have been you would include if i went way early if i went 3 months earlier i would have been criticized you know criticize for being way too early. i think. i've educated a lot of people as to the press and i would love to be able to say that we have a very honest press. said is an administration with finalizing a plan to reopen the u.s. economy when questioned on who would decide on relaxing lockdown rules trump said he would be calling the shots it's a decision for the president the united states now with that being said we're going

to work with the states because it's very important several state governors on the east and west coasts are discussing the best way to open their economies and ease stay at home or does new york governor andrew cuomo seem to suggest he thought it should be largely up to individual states not the president he left it to the states to close down and that was state by state this is. without any guidance really he took the position that it was a state's decision and then the states were responsible for purchasing supplies etc with infection numbers in new york beginning to play the coals to loosen the lock down and getting louder but the road back to normalcy will be a long one. the question of the hour of course is how soon the authorities might begin lifting the lockdown as well the influential national academy of sciences has recommended that some of the restrictions imposed

to contain the convert coronavirus could be eased soon their report came as the number of new confirmed cases in germany fell for the 3rd day running. blame it on the sunshine germans flocked to nearby lakes and parks to soak it all in over the east a long weekend police patrolled popular areas that found most were abang the restrictions . as long as it's necessary i think the rules of fine health has to come 1st light or last light losing would definitely be good at some point we need to start earning money again mitigate. this syrian maybe coming germany's most influential science academy has recommended the lockdown slowly be lifted primary and secondary schools would gradually reopen with extra precautions in place and if so should distancing rules are enforced stores and restaurants could follow the academy says

the government should also make it mandatory to wear face masks in public. we can learn from our neighbors in asia and i think mouth knows protection must become a social standard for months. politicians say yet to agree on how quickly the lockdown should be lifted does remove you there surely must continue to look at what effect it has on the number of infections in some places we may have to reimpose certain restrictions in the coming months members and members chancellor angela merkel is due to hold a video conference call with the state's leaders on wednesday. with the restrictions set to expire on sunday she says the academy's position will play a role in deciding germany's path forward. all the time now to take a look at some of the other news making headlines today china's foreign trade fell last month even as businesses gradually got back to work exports fell by nearly 7

percent and analysts fear there is worse to come china's trading partners are still being devastated by the current crisis. south korea's military says north korea has launched several missiles into the sea of japan south claims john young fired both cruise missiles and add to ground rockets launched comes just days after north korean state media show did a cameo on visiting an airbase. turkey's parliament house passed a law allowing tens of thousands of prisoners to be released as a precaution against the coronavirus measure excludes criminals convicted of terrorism drug offenses and violent crimes as well as opposition politicians journalists and academics facing terrorism charges. french president manuel markhor says his country will have to endure another 4 weeks of lockdown mccaw said progress had been made but the battle against the coronavirus was far from over

france has severely restricted citizens movements since mid march. china has approved early stage human trials for 2 experimental vaccines to combat the coronavirus prototype vaccines being developed by a chinese american joint venture scientists the world over in the race to develop a vaccine although they always make clear that ineffective one is likely to be a long way off. this liquid could hold the solution to ending the current pandemic it contains bacteria that may produce a corona virus vaccine the 1st tests carried out on mice cave promising results swiss immunologist martin at the university of paris is leading an international team of investigators they've been producing harmless particle copies from the corona virus these copies cause the body to produce antibodies which can then fight

the virus you do these again of these circles as a copy and they all look the same and this is important for producing a vaccine. researchers at a biotech start up near serious are taking a different approach they want to develop a drug with blood taken from people who've recovered from the corona virus because they carry antibodies that neutralize it but they're not easy to find every little white dot is an antibody there are millions in the body but not all of them are effective. you know looking for a needle in a haystack we got 2000000 of these antibody producing cells from the patient today we estimate that one in every 10000 can be used against the corona virus at least it is. there are currently more than 50 research teams around the world working on a vaccine they're hoping for a shortened approval process to bring the vaccines to the market as soon as possible. russia is seeing

a sharp rise in infections and this authorities have imposed a lockdown that includes closing non-essential businesses officials warning that unemployment could triple to 15 percent and the entrepreneurs fear they could soon go under the flow industry has been hit in specially hard demand for flowers virtually disappeared overnight after the closure of non-essential businesses across russia producers have been forced to get rid of millions of flowers every day and shop owners now fear for their livelihood. these florists from st petersburg are trying to draw attention to their plight by destroying their unsold inventory but i wish them when you worship it but i can't store these defective goods every 2 or 3 days they write they leak and they smell and that's why we can't show the full quantity of the goods that we actually had. this is

a tiny part of what we threw away this is our money taken on credit because if the national seeing it got bought it was out pretty easy without any cells shop owners hope the government will step in and provide much needed assistance. within yet us this is just not done like our business activity is currently completely suspended he says it's impossible to pass through this crisis and the situation on this product can't be stored for a long time it can't be preserved demand to school and the markets are empty and business has come to a halt that it's the ball pollution depressed over the business what's opinion thank you the russian president vladimir putin is expected to ramp up stimulus measures to prop up an economy heading toward recession and keep businesses afloat but tumbling oil prices and tax revenue could weigh heavily on his government's efforts to help those affected most by the corona virus outbreak. you're watching

the news from remember you can get the latest headlines on the d.w.i. on our website that's forced to dot com and follow us on twitter at instagram asked d.-w. news i'm galveston i'll be back at the top of the hour with a news update that's. come bearing the corona pandemic. where does research stand. what are scientists learning. background information and news. hour corona. with 19 special next on d w. the global

corona crisis you can find more information online at e.w. dot com and on t.w. social media channels. react to the pandemic with travel bans lockdowns. fighting for every life in one of germany's coronavirus hotspots some european countries are starting to relax more strictures won't call this a tightening. no is not the kind good next measures. europe is a mock up of schools businesses restaurants and factories have all been shuttered

for weeks not. people ought to moralize with the arrival of spring they've been enjoying what they still can the sun in the park some fresh air but many are missing a sense of community some countries like denmark and austria already beginning to loosen the most severe restrictions others think it is too early for that now what do experts is the virus under control can public life return to normal and will the warmer temperatures now arriving in the northern hemisphere slow the spread of the disease. these are some of the questions we'll discuss in this edition of covert 19 special here on the w. news i'm chris cobra milliners good to have you with us now the longer the shutdown is in place the more pressing becomes the question when constrict social distancing measures be east here in germany public officials are yet to decide on an official strategy so let's get an expert's view to be escort is a professor of public health and if i'm a ology at berlin's shallot

a hospital welcome to our program to b s let's talk about the weather 1st here there have been some including the u.s. president saying that rising temperatures are bad for the virus are they well if you look at areas that support it's actions and if you see to spread the virus there's really no differences between regions that are war and reaching other colder so i think the virus is really not affected by the temperature it is true that you are in the cold weather season that is inside most insect you throw this more susceptible 'd for getting in it's actually that may be a factor of it don't think that it is really effective. so springtime meaning it's not necessarily a bad time for corona. it's not about time for the buyers it's time for for us and enjoying the sun roof and so fully getting some fresh air certainly the

sunshine helps. it's a good time for all of us it's an spring right now but sort of iras i don't think it makes much of a difference to me as the number of reported cases in germany is declining italy and spain the countries hardest hit here in europe are reporting receiving death numbers where are we in the timeline of this pandemic one of the one has to understand that the virus cannot be stopped or reasons why these measures the physical restrictions i'm place is to allow the health care system to leith and some regions even in germany being out at. hospitals are really on the edge so this was the reason why we certainly support it these these measures now and then it is really over the so called her release he is reaching that is a long way to so if not we would like some measures of this not that iris is gone

the virus is there and we have to deal with the virus but quite some time until we have pixelation available or until enough people have been infected with the virus and haven't yet it's against the virus nevertheless the severe social distancing measures they are taking their toll on people and number of public officials here in germany and other places are talking about lifting some of the strictest countermeasures is it the right time to do that. well scientists than many experts associations are discussing this office the air nobody likes to cook is really hard measures and to into place this is the right time we'll be in through the same 2 weeks in 10 days nobody really can tell what it think is a good time now to discuss how we can lift this restrictions and how we can move into the future and as you know they are biomedical they also are of the economic

they are social they are psychological data and all of these is not really helpful or for the health of the people so we have to really start to think of how move on to to really start to go back to a life that is certainly not a normal life that we used to but to a life that makes sense and makes. us starting businesses again and allowing kids to go to school so i think it's a good time to discuss this right now all right lester let's talk about the how germany's academy of sciences one of the most renowned research institutions in the country says primary and secondary schools should gradually open again and it should be mandatory for people to wear face masks on public transportation what is your take on that. i think these are her goods and reasonable of such actions many experts from various fields have been involved in this recommendations and i

think that those are really good starting points we all have to understand however that if restrictions are lifted that we may see an effect of the healthcare system again and that we have to increase some of the restrictions that potentially this will mean on the law for some time we have to evaluate this very 'd carefully indeed exports are doing to these 2 to recommence specific measures to the politicians who then has to make their decisions but i think the recommendations of the national academy of science will 'd be reasonable and they are good starting points also it is important that they set that we should not realize late specific care groups such as the elderly or such as people who have certain medical conditions i think that was also a very important state and to be asked briefly what are the most important aspects of such a strategy of easing these restrictions well it is. new really have to know what is possible ringback and people what they can do i

think we all society understood the importance of defeating his virus and the importance of the escalation of the health care system so i think chair we should also count on on to society that they really work with everyone to make this. epidemiologist to be escort thank you for talking to g.w. thank you. so the this caution over when and how to acts of the lockdown is still waging meanwhile spring has arrived in many countries in europe and it isn't germany people tried to make the best of their situation over the easter weekend which went catching some rays while trying not to catch the virus. spring has come and in parks across germany you wouldn't necessarily know that the country is in lockdown having spent weeks cooped up indoors many people are

experiencing a fresh appreciation for nature. if you can send me look it's not true being at site but of course i'm not meeting friends or socializing and it has a calming effect if the last thing in the macis so so for me it's liberating to be as you may chair tools. in germany you are still allowed to go out alone or with one other person what it out to exercise or just agree bid from fresh air but even when you're soaking in the spring fun you still need to make sure you're sticking to social distancing rules. another man who certainly wishes he'd have more time for a nice walk in the park but our resident corona expert eric williams has been very busy thinking about and answering the questions you sent us here's our latest installment. can you get the coronavirus and share any symptoms.

based on what we know right now it looks like around 100 every 6 people that catches 19 gets seriously ill and develops difficulties with breathing symptoms and others who have tested positive for the disease ranged from serious to very mild and some people who test positive have no symptoms at all at the center for disease control in the u.s. believes as many as one in 4 people who get the disease show no symptoms no but by the information they have as asymptomatic carriers might remain perfectly healthy themselves but contribute dramatically to transmission knowing how many people are asymptomatic would also help us nail down the real mortality rate of the virus which continues to be guesstimated and finally it's important in terms of fighting the disease if we can figure out why some people don't get sick that information

could help us in. the race to develop therapies. could survive in cave 19 meaning me this question is closely tied to the question of why some people can carry the disease but are symptomatic from what we've seen so far the corona virus infects everyone but some people don't develop symptoms and that probably has to do with their genetic make up past research has shown that genetics do have an influence on the course of viral infections and scientists are looking at some key genes very closely in the covert 19 pandemic especially the ones that include 4 and controllable the expression of an enzyme in the cell membrane called ace 2 it's what the coronavirus uses as a gateway to get into the cell could variations there makes some people more

susceptible than others maybe it's pretty unlikely though that there will be a single genetic variant that determines whether you get a mild or severe a case of cope at 19 the 1st widescale research studies in the area are ramping up now but they'll take time to carry out and evaluate. and if you have a question for us about the virus simply post it in the comments section of our d w you tube channel and that wraps up today's edition of covert 19 special for more on the vendor make to check out our social media channels and our website that's d.w. dot com which has dedicated covert 19 pages in 30 languages i'm chris called thanks for watching and before we let you go many scientists around the world are calling on governments to provide people with face masks if they intend on easing lockdown restrictions on taiwan seems to be a step ahead on those stories there has sort of vending machines where people can

scan their health insurance cards health insurance cards in order to pick up their fortnightly ration of 9 masks and their other countries may well wish to a doctor it's. kickoff. music a kind of culture war the media send me a phenomena i. i refer a little i on detail i.

joined the corona cursors. reporters braved the walk down. journey through abandoned cities. where public life has come to a halt. and they need people who are free and full of worries. things will be after the crisis. in 60 minutes on d w. formal or. story that people of the world over w. on facebook and twitter are up to date and in touch and follow us.